Analysis: If Ayotte isn't supporting Syria intervention now, she may never

Over the past week, New Hampshire U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte has been one of the most closely watched undecided votes for a Syrian war resolution. Her political mentor, U.S. Sen. John McCain, is for it. Her New Hampshire colleague, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, voted for it last week. On Sunday, she was among a small group of senators who had dinner with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, where she was surely lobbied hard to support it.

Wednesday, followed Obama's speech to the nation the night before, Ayotte said she wasn't supportive of intervening in Syria "at this time."

If she isn't supporting it now, it is hard to see politically how she could ever wind up supporting it.

Syria is a tricky issue. There are no clear-cut answers. On the one, side there is the argument to act to punish the moral wrong of the use of chemical weapons. On the other side, it is hard to see what a single strike of 100 missiles will do to change anything fundamentally.

With opinion polls showing the country very much against intervention in Syria and with less momentum to vote for the resolution every day, it is hard to see how Ayotte could ever become a yes vote.

Going further, even if political mood shifted, Ayotte said a big problem in voting for the resolution is "that the administration’s strategy on Syria is incoherent and inconsistent." She might feel that way no matter what happens.